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Monday, May 10, 2010

"I wanna be a girl scout" t-shirt and collar tutorial

So this is really a tutorial for 2 different things. A shirt and a collar. You can do either or both! They are both INCREDIBLY easy. I promise. And each part takes under an hour. (Or faster if you are a good sewer.) This is one of my favorite things to do to a t-shirt...

SHIRT Materials:
1.Sleeve pattern piece for your size arm ( I found a cheap pattern on sale at JoAnn's for 1.99 and I use the sleeve piece ALL THE TIME. Its handy.
2. 1/2 yard (this can also be used for the collar)
3. T-shirt (this could be cool to do to a concert t-shirt....)
4. scissors, sewing machine, thread, pins.

1. Cut the sleeves off of your t-shirt. I cut right up against the edge of the seam.
2.Using your sleeve pattern, cut 2 sleeves out of your fabric.

3. According to your pattern instructions, sew two lines from dot to dot (on pattern) using a long length stitch (I do about a 4). Then pull the threads to gather.
4. Sew your sleeves together, on the bottom tabs (I don't know what those are called, but the part that goes on your armpit).

5. Fold the hem under on the sleeve and sew down. (or do whatever your instructions say).
6. Lay the sleeve next to your t-shirt armhole (as shown) and mark where the bottom (armpit) of the sleeve ends on the t-shirt. Pin it.

7. Sew from that point of the armpit, back to the side of the shirt, kinda like if you were doing a dart. You just want the stitching to gradually run off the side.
8. Attach the sleeves. (see your pattern). It is really not that hard. I was intimidated by sleeves for a long time, and once I actually did it I realized there was nothing to fear!!!

9.Try your shirt on... I felt like my sleeves were too far out, so I overlapped and pinned the fabric that rests on my shoulders inward, so that there was a little gather there. It made the t-shirt more feminine too.
10. Sew down inside the seam that is already there.

Voila! the shirt is done! now for the (removable) collar......!

1.Cut a strip of fabric 29" X 2 1/2 and one strip 30" X 2 "
2. Fold them in half, and sew down the entire length. Then turn them inside out.

3. Top stitch around the entire strip, and fold under the ends, or tuck them inside. (DO THIS TO BOTH STRIPS.)
4. To the wider strip (the 2 1/2" one), do the following: create two folds at the ends and pin. Sew down on top of the stitching that is already there (on the sides). (see above)

5.Lay the two strips on top of each other, overlapping just a bit. sew them together, with the part that will be on the outside/showing on top as you feed it through the machine. ( I just sewed down the side that overlapped)

6. Attache snaps (see instructions on your setter) about 3 1/2 inches from the bottom, or where ever you think i looks cute as you wrap it around your neck (I tried mine on first and marked where I wanted it to overlap.)
7. to finish it off, and cover the snap, I cut out a few concentric circles and hot-glued them on top. You could also just put a vintage broach there or something....

DONE!
Now put them together and you get this:

You can wear your collar with other shirts too, and the shirt can be worn with other collars, but I really love mine together:)

How cute is Olivia????!!!! she kills me with that smile. we were off to church that day, that's why I am wearing a real outfit...